KUALA LUMPUR: Police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) last night launched a blitz on individuals suspected of possessing and distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
The operation, codenamed "Op Pedo Bersepadu PDRM-MCMC", spearheaded by Bukit Aman's Sexual, Women, and Child Investigations Division (D11), involved a series of coordinated raids across six states; Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor, Terengganu, Penang and Perak.
The raids, which saw the authorities descend on homes in affluent neighbourhoods as well as middle and low-cost areas, led to the arrest of 13 suspects.
It also resulted in the seizure of 40,000 CSAM and pornographic content from various devices including computers, cell phones and external hard disks.
The authorities began moving in on their targets across six states at 9pm sharp, with police personnel knocking on the doors of 20 homes belonging to the suspects.
The ages of those arrested ranged between 20 and 74.
In many instances, they were met with shocked households, who were stunned to learn that one of their family members was secretly harbouring CSAM materials.
One of the raids in an upscale neighbourhood in Petaling Jaya unearthed 3,500 sexually explicit material on the suspect's computer. Another raid in Klang led to the discovery of more than 500GB worth of explicit content, some of which were suspected to be CSAM.
In some cases, the explicit materials were filed in the suspects' computers under names such as 'Kids' and 'Rape'.
Some suspects, when questioned by the police, claimed they did not think their actions were serious enough to warrant an arrest.
The crackdown followed surveillance and undercover work by the police, supported by intelligence provided by MCMC.
The raiding parties also comprised Bukit Aman's Forensic Laboratory Division (D10), Technical Assistance Division (D6) and Criminal Investigation Department.
It is learnt that the suspects, who operated online under false identities, were flagged for actively accessing and sharing CSAM content on messaging and social media platforms.
Some of the suspects admitted to finding and buying explicit content via social media and messaging platforms such as X and Telegram.
It is understood that while some of the content seized dated back years, some were believed to be downloaded on the same day of the raids.
The suspects are expected to be investigated under Section 10 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act for accessing child pornography and Section 292 of the Penal Code for possession of obscene materials.
Last week the New Straits Times ran a series of reports on the rampant sale of Malaysian-made explicit content, including CSAM, on social media and messaging platforms.
The NST's investigation also showed how CSAM content was being sold for as cheap as RM1 per video, raising concerns among parents over the safety of their children.
Bukit Aman's Sexual, Women and Child Investigations Division (D11) Principal Assistant Director, Senior Assistant Commissioner Siti Kamsiah Hassan had spoken on trends which showed that access to such pornography had made predators even more brazen, with some going to the extent of attempting to abduct children.
She also highlighted how easy access to pornographic content has led to severe addiction resulting in children, some as young as primary school pupils, becoming involved in creating and profiting from CSAM content.
The United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had told the NST how cybercriminals trafficking in CSAM were exploiting advanced encryption technology to avoid arrest.
Malaysia, it said, has forged alliances with the FBI and other international entities to leverage real-time coordination of operations to shut down priority and high-impact targets.